CANADA: Massive dunes on Saturn’s biggest moon, Titan, may have been formed due to violent methane storms.
Scientists suggest that Titan is the nearest Earth-like celestial object in the solar system. The winds on Titan are near to the surface and blow from east to west, similar to the trade winds on Earth. However, the giant surface dunes on Titan point toward the east.
While previous theories explain the reason of the east pointing winds, researchers at the University of Washington (UW) have a new explanation. Previous models did not include methane clouds when explaining the reason for the dune’s direction. However, now researchers believe that methane clouds may hold the clues for the formation of the dunes.
Researchers have taken the help of computer models, which enabled them to understand the direction of the dunes on the moon. The scientists explain that methane storms on Titan are a rare occurrence but produce eastward winds, which are comparatively stronger than westward winds.
The methane storms may reach as high as 22 miles per hour, which is about 10 times stronger and faster than the westward winds. While the methane storms are faster, they realign the dunes to point toward the east.
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